Acupuncture Services of Central NY

Chinese medicine, like Western medicine, believes that the Heart is responsible for the circulation of Blood and the health of the blood vessels. If the Heart is strong, circulation will be good, all of the body's tissues will be well nourished, and the pulse will be full and regular. Physiologically, both believe that a weak Heart can lead to palpitations and chest pain - even heart attack. Chinese medicine believes that the Heart controls sweating. So, it is no surprise that one of the main symptoms of a heart attack is breaking out in a cold sweat.

Chinese medicine also believes that the Heart “houses the mind”. This may be a difficult concept to grasp, but according to Chinese medicine, the health of the Heart energy has a lot to do with our mental activity – even consciousness. The Heart governs our ability to sleep soundly, think clearly and have a good memory. A healthy Heart plays a big role in our emotional health and our ability to have meaningful relationships. When the Heart energy is weak and Blood is deficient, we may suffer from anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, and in extreme cases manic behavior or coma.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 11:53 AM | The Heart in Chinese Medicine

In a previous article, I explained the function of the Liver in Chinese Medicine philosophy. The proper functioning of the Liver, from a Chinese medicine point of view, is probably the most important factor in ensuring our physical and emotional health.

So, what can cause a disruption in the free flow of Liver energy? Stress, anger, resentment and repressed frustrations in life will do it every time! These emotions, when experienced for a prolonged period of time, will cause the Liver Qi to stagnate. Diet and lifestyle, in particular the excessive consumption of spicy or greasy foods and the use of alcohol and nicotine, will contribute to or aggravate a Liver imbalance by generating heat in the body.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 06:31 AM | Symptoms Of A Liver Imbalance In Chinese Medicine

Cupping Therapy has been an integral part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years and continues to be incorporated into treatments today. This book by Ilkay Zihni Chitali is an excellent resource for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. Mr. Chitali provides details for ten different cupping methods. For each method he explains the technique itself in detail along with valuable illustrations.
Examples are given for conditions that may benefit from that particular technique. Half of the book (almost 100 pages) is devoted to specific treatment protocols for common ailments. Cupping instructions are given along with acupuncture points, moxibustion and herbal remedies. Case studies accompany each section.

Several techniques may be used with children and he specifically notes the difference in cupping duration and technique that should be applied for each age group.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 07:13 AM | Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy

A local support group for heart and stroke patients asked me recently to give a talk about acupuncture and Chinese medicine at one of their monthly meetings. One gentleman approached me afterwards and said that he had not slept well since his heart bypass surgery, which had been about three years earlier. This did not surprise me, as the Heart in Chinese medicine is said to house the spirit and has a lot to do with the body’s ability to sleep peacefully. Since the problem was becoming really worrisome (he only slept two hours a night), and he did not want to add another medication to his long list of prescriptions, he decided he had nothing to lose by trying acupuncture treatments.

We started weekly treatments. I used points that are well known to calm the mind and nourish the heart to help sleep. For a couple of weeks, he would sleep better for a night or two only to return to the same pattern of two hours a night. After four treatments he was getting discouraged, and even though I did not expect to turn around a three year-old habit overnight, I was searching all of my materials for the best protocol for his constitution.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 08:49 AM | Insomnia Due to Heart Disease

by Dr. Chen Decheng

I have written before about the power of a single point being able to resolve pain in the body, but here is a book from my library that documents 100 diseases that can be treated with a single point!

Many of the points that Dr. Decheng writes about are well known points either on the regular meridians or extra points that are commonly taught in acupuncture schools around the country. For example, a point on the leg on the stomach meridian (ST38) is commonly used to treat frozen shoulder. The master point of the Du meridian, which runs through the spine, (SI3) is commonly used to treat stiff neck. Moxa (an herb) is burned over the point BL67 (next to the nail on the little toe) to correct a transverse or breech fetal position. And the extra point Er Bai, on the palmer aspect of the forearm, is specifically used to treat hemorrhoids.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 08:26 AM | 100 Diseases Treated by Single Point of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in Chinese medicine. Giavanni Macciocia, a renowned acupuncturist and herbalist from the United Kingdom, in my opinion, has compiled the most complete reference available to English speaking practitioners with his book "Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine".His book was one of the first that I purchased as an acupuncture student and remains an invaluable reference in my practice today.

In Chinese medicine, disease is explained by an imbalance of yin and yang and heat and cold in the human body. Chinese medicine believes that chronic imbalances will have a definite impact on the color and shape of the tongue body and the color and thickness of the tongue coating.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 09:41 AM | Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine

Migraines are recurrent headaches that may or may not be associated with visual or gastrointestinal symptoms. Pain may be one-sided or more generalized. Women are more prone to migraines than men, suggesting that hormone imbalance may play a factor in the etiology. Triggers associated with migraines include stress, fatigue and weather changes. Some people are sensitive to alcohol and foods containing MSG, tyramine and nitrates.

Western medicine attempts to manage migraines with various drug therapies - often effective, but often with side effects. Many research studies have been conducted that confirm the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat chronic headaches, particularly migraines. Patients who received regular sessions of acupuncture reported fewer, less severe headaches and commonly used less medication.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 08:16 PM | Acupuncture Treats Migraines

The World Health Organization has recognized over 40 common health problems that acupuncture can effectively treat. Most people are aware that acupuncture treats pain, but many do not know the wide range of painful conditions that are commonly improved with acupuncture. Acupuncture treats pain anywhere in the body, including but not limited to: back pain, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, shingles pain and migraines.

But acupuncture can also treat digestive disorders such as nausea, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome. It is commonly used to treat asthma and sinus problems. Acupuncture is very powerful to treat gynecological problems including PMS, menopausal symptoms, endometriosis and even infertility.

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Posted by Webmaster at 04:00 PM | What Can Acupuncture Treat?